There's no denying that the Divina is a beautiful ship, but MSC needs to offer more than a just pretty face if they hope to make it on this side of the pond. I realize they are fairly new to this market and that they have a few kinks to work out. We hope that they take their passengers comments and reviews seriously, because they really need to make some quick adjustments if they want to survive in this market.

All in all, we did enjoy our cruise and hoped that the “Mediterranean Lifestyle” that MSC promotes would really set it apart. However, our experience was not really that different from the other mainstream cruise lines we sailed on. The most noticeable differences were the large number of passengers of different nationalities and the absence of urinals in the mens restrooms.

So, let's begin with the positives. Embarkation was fast and efficient. We got through the terminal and on the ship in about 45 minutes. Most of the staff we encountered were cheerful, friendly and helpful, especially customer relations. The room steward did a fairly good job of keeping the cabin neat, but fell a little short when it came to providing clean glasses. The shower had split doors that opened into the shower, so it created some additional space in the bathroom. There were very few announcements. They had live music all over the ship, with the exception of the theater. The shows were actually pretty good. They were decent productions, with above average talent and nice sets. Read more